The Waterhawk Lake Club sits on the edge of Roberts Lake with a sprawling patio that catches the afternoon sun and wind off the water—you can watch ducks and geese while you eat. The kitchen does upscale casual American fare: burgers, steaks, seafood, salads. It’s the kind of place where you’ll see people in hiking gear next to people in business casual, which tells you something about how unpretentious it actually is despite the clubhouse aesthetic.

Dogs are welcome on the patio, and there’s enough space that you won’t feel crowded even when the place fills up for dinner service. Water bowls appear without asking. The patio is partially covered in spots, though it’s not fully enclosed, so rainy days require judgment calls about how much your dog minds wet feet. During cooler months they do turn on heaters, which makes evening visits more feasible than you’d expect for a mostly outdoor setup.

Roberts Lake Road runs northeast from downtown Rohnert Park, about five minutes from Highway 101. The lake itself is a shallow freshwater basin that draws waterfowl year-round, and the Waterhawk’s position means you’re sitting in that landscape—it’s genuinely quiet for a restaurant patio despite being close to suburban Rohnert Park. The dining area has direct sightlines to the water and trails that wind around the lake’s edge if you want to walk before or after your meal. They’re open for lunch and dinner daily, and on weekends the place fills with locals taking advantage of the views. Bring a light layer even in summer; the water keeps things cooler than inland spots, and wind can kick up suddenly off the lake.